Wheel-rim for holding pneumatic tires.



H. AUSTIN.

WHEEL RIM FOR HOLDING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

APPLICATION TILED 513.26, 1912.

1,1 32,898, Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

UNITED s'ras Fstca WHEEL-RIM FOR HOLDING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed February 28, 1912. Serial No. 879,821.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT AUSTIN, a subjectof the King of Great Britain, and residing at Bromsgrovc, infltlgecounty of lVorcester, England, engineer, have invent ed certain new anduseful Improvements in WheeLRims for Holding Pneumatic Tires, of whichthe following is a specification.

According to a type of wheel rim which has been used for holding apneumatic tire, a detachable ring, for use in holdingpne edge of thesheath of the pneumatic tire in place, has been slipped on aroundthe'soleplate of the rim. This ring has been held from slipping back,under the pressure tending to force it outward when the tire has beeninflated, by a steel ring, split at one side, which has. been sprunginto a groove formed around the sole-plate of the rim.

The split ring projects from the groove and forms an abutment againstwhich the first-- mentioned ring is forced by the inflation of the tire.There is some liability of'znoisture and dirt gctting in between the tworings and working their way into contact with the pneumatic t be; andthere is'soine liability that in opening out the abutment ring, inremoving it from the groove, a permanent set will be given to it whichwill prevent it holding itself by a n elastic grip around the bottom ofthe groove, when placed therein. Now, with a view to obviate the in'convcnicnces referred to, a packing ring or length of rubber, or of othersuitable soft packing material, and conveniently of a round section, issubstituted for the split ring above described, substantially half ofit, being let into a groove of the sole-plate'of the rim which is ofsuitable cross-section to receive it for the purpose required, and theouter -lbwer corner ofthc ring which is slippcd over tho solo-plate isshaped in crosssection to bed snugly against the projecting: portion ofthe. packing.- The packing, if in the 'form of an extensible ring. ma;vbe readily stretched sulliciently to enable into be removed from itsgroove and replaced therein, and whether in the form of a ring or alength of which the ends arebrougbt around together, makes a thoroughlywater and dirt tight joint between itself and its groove and betweenitself and the ring which is slipped over the sole-plate of the rim.This packing may be strengthened by a core of canvas or the like, or mayhave n vire embedded therein which, when the after which its axis wouldbe brought to co incide with the axis of the wheel and the ring wouldthen be moved outward into a seating formed therefor in the outer sideof the groove.

engage with e beaded or thickened edge of the sheath in the manner inwhich a bended or thickened edge of a sheath. is commonly engag d by aturned-over edge of a rim, tin ebv securely holding it both: from givinpre s sidewise only against a wired edge of a. r oath prevent such edgefrom giving out sidewise while the tire is being inflated,

the wiring preventing it from expanding cireumfercntially under theinflation.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will nowdescribe practical applications of the same which are illus trated, byway of example, by the drawings herewith, of which Figure l is a transerse section through the tire sheath and wheel rim, in a case in whichthe edges ofthe sheath are unwired. l ig. J is 1-. corresponding view toFig. 1 showing a sheath with wired edges, and Fig. 3 is a sectionthrough the rim and the packing ring in the case of a ring having aflexible but non-extensible core.

Referring first to the application of the invention shown by Fig.1,the-sheath A is of any ordinary or convenient character, having;thickened edges a one of which fits under a turned-over edge b of therimB and the otherof which fits nnder s corresponding portion 0 of aring C which is adapted to be slipped over the sole-plate b of the rim.A groove 15'" formed Within the periphery of the solaplate 0'' close .tothe outer edge thereo C has been pushed with lent-2y across thesole-plate of the rim to admit thereof, a

packing (I, of soft jointing material which i conveniently in the formof a ring, is insert a. .se or expanding circumferentially the tire isinflated, or may be adapted to and, after the ring The ring which isslipped over the soleplate of the rim may be adapted eithertoed withinthe groove 6 leaving substantially half thereof standing out from thegroove. The ring C is formed, as seen in section, with a hollow c which,as such ring is pressedoutward by the inflation of the tire, bedsagainst the portion of the packing d which stands outward from thegroove 6 and thus insures a thoroughly moisture and dirt tight jointbetween the rim and the ring G. A tool is shown in this figure for use'infforizing the ring 0 inward after the tire has been deflated, orsufliciently so to permit thereof, for the purpose of removing thepacking d from the groove b and allowing the ring C to be removed fromthe rim so that the tire can be removed from around the wheel. This toolcomprises a yoke E which engages, as shown, with the rim at one sidethereof, and passes over-the tire to a pivot connection e with atwo-armed lever of which one arm f may be forced at its free end, byturning the other arm f, -'against'the ring C in a direction to forcesuch ring in as required. A single tool may be used for forcing the ring(3 inward at different points in succession around its cir cumference,or two or more of such tools may be employed for simultaneously forcingthe ring in at different points.

Referring now to the application of the invention shown by Fig. 2, thewires 9 which are inserted in the edges of the sheath A. insure thatsuch edges can not elongate, and it is therefore necessary simply toprevent these edges moving sidewise under the inflation of the tire. Theside I) of theJrini B forms simply an outward flange around thesole-plate b of the rimpagainst which a. flat side of the correspondingedge of the sheath abuts, and the ring C is formed with a flat side a toform an abutment for a flat side of the corresponding edge of thesheath, but it is preferred to form the inner edge of this flat side 0with an inward rounded projection a which presses somewhat into thematerial of the edge of the sheath and gives. additional securityagainst theentrance of moisture'and dirt into the tire. Except for thesefeatures, this form of the invention is the same as that described withreference to Fig. l.

Referring now to the modification of the invention shown by Fig.3, thegroove 6 is shown to be of considerable depth and the packing ring d, ofsoft jointing material which has a flexible but non-extensible. core d,is first passed down into the bottom of the groove of. the wheel, asshown, and can then'be passed around over the edge of the groovethroughout theremaining portion ofthe circumference df the wheel. thenmoved so as 'to' be central with; the

wheel and moved outward against a curved" seat in the outer side of thegroove, as

' the ring C.

projecting rom the move at one part-of the circumference creasedsecurity against moisture and dirt 7 getting in between the ring C andthe packing, the ring C is formed to fit around a portion of the outerside of the packing when the packing is within the hollow of The packinwill yield sufliciently, as the ring C is orced back under the inflationof the tire, to allow the outer edge of the hollow of the ring 0' topass over the portion of the packing which projects farthest from thegroove 1).

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. [n a wheel rim for holding a pneumatic'tire, a sole-plate, anabutment at one side of the sole-platefor supportin one side of thepneumatic tire, a ring whic may be slipped over the sole-plate at theother side of the pneumatic tire, a groove running around the outersurface of the sole-plate at the side thereof over which the ring isslipped, and an endless packing of elastic waterproof jointing materialwhich is partly within the groove and partly projects therefrom andagainst the projecting portion of which the rin is pressed by theinflation of the tire, where y the said packing acts as an abutment forone side of the tire and prevents moisture and dirt from getting in between the rim and tire.

2. In a wheel rim for holding a pneumatic tire, a sol -plate, anabutment at one side of the sole-p ate. for supportin one side of thepneumatic tire, a ring whic may be slipped over the sole-plate attheother side of the neumatic tire, a groove running around the outersurface of the sole-plate at the sidethereof over which the ring isslipped, and a continuous packing ring of elastic waterproof materialwhich may be stretched to pass it over the sole-plate and then allowedto contract to tighten itself within the oove leaving a portion thereofwhich resists the outwardthrust of t e firstmentioned ring.

3;?1'11 .a wheel rim for holding a pneu- "matictira'a sole-plate, anabutment. at one guide of the sole-plate for supportin (of the'pneumatictire, a ring whic may be one side slipped 'over the sole-plate at theother side "of the. pneumatic tire, a groove running around the outersurface of the sole-plate at the side thereof over which the ring isslipped, and an endless packing of waterproof elastic material which iswithin the groove and partly projects therefrom, the projecting portionresisting the outward thrust of the ring and the said projecting portionof the packing formed with a rounded surface as seen in transversesection, and the ring formed with a hollowed surface, to bear againstthe packing, which is sha cal to pass over th portion of greatestpro1ection of the packing and fit around a portion of the outer sidethereof.

4. In a wheel rim for holding a pneumatic tire, .a sole-plate, anabutment at one side of the sole-plate for supporting one side of thepneumatic tire, a ring which may he slipped over the sole-plate at theother side of the pneumatic tire, a groove running around the outersurface of the soleplate at the side thereof over which the ring isslipped, a seat in the outer side of the groove the inner edge of whichis farther from the axis of the wheel than is the bottom of the groove,and a packin ring having a surface of elastic waterproof material and anonextensible core, said groove being of such depth that the packingring can be first passed down into the bottom thereof at one part of thecircumference of the rim and then be passed over the edge of the rimthroughout the remaining portion of the circumference thereof and thenhe brought into position concentric with the rim and with a portion ofthe packing projecting beyond the rim around the entire circumferencethereof, the packing then resisting the out ward thrust of suchfirst-mentioned ring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto Signet? my name this 14th day ofFebruary 191:5; in the presence of two subscribing witnessesv HERBERTAUS FIN. Witnesses BENJAMIN Broom GARDNER, Rouse-r G. GROVES.

